The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) is pleased to announce that Rob King, vice president of Pitt Grill Inc. in Lake Charles, will serve as the 2018 LRA Chair of its Board of Directors. Pitt Grill has three locations in Lake Charles, Sulphur and Alexandria. He also owns PG’s Diner in Lake Charles. King assumed this role with the start of the New Year.In this capacity, King will serve as the ambassador of Louisiana’s world-renowned restaurant industry. He will travel the state attending chapter meetings and philanthropic events throughout the year and foster the engagement of one of the state’s largest business trade associations.

​King is a second-generation restaurant owner; his parents, Bob and Jana King, acquired Pitt Grill in 1972. Since the age of five, King was a fixture in the restaurant.

“My job was to pick up [trash in] the parking lot and my payment was a waffle,” he remembered. “By the time I was 12, my first official job was a dishwasher.” King and his father continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the company together.

A LRA member for 23 years, King was elected to the LRA state board in 2008 and has chaired several committees. He was the Southwest Chapter President in 2009 and 2010.

“My restaurants mean a lot to me, both professionally and personally,” King continued. “They are my way of interacting with the community and being a positive force. My restaurants allow me to provide for my family and help others provide for theirs. My employees are a great source of knowledge—they teach me things every single day! They are a big part of our success.”

Pitt Grill is known across Southwest Louisiana as a family diner, serving comfort food to patrons from all walks of life, 24 hours a day. The company gives back, too, donating thousands of dollars to McNeese University’s charitable foundation to establish the Pitt Grill Business Scholarship. It is the King family’s hope that budding entrepreneurs can benefit and become successful business owners in the Lake Charles area.

“Rob’s experience with every facet of the restaurant industry, from busser to prep cook and now vice president, makes him a valuable asset. We look forward to him guiding the LRA this year,” said LRA President & CEO Stan Harris.

King is looking forward to his year as LRA Chair, sharing: “I would like to be a positive influence and foster communication on all levels of the association…and meet lots of interesting people along the way!”